I recently found some intriguing comments made by a wealthy tech CEO regarding artificial intelligence and its potential influence on jobs. The CEO emphasized that leaders need to avoid misleading employees about how AI will reshape their roles.
I’m interested to know what others think about this viewpoint. Should managers be fully transparent with staff about the risk of automation taking over certain jobs? Or is there merit in being cautious about how these changes are presented?
I personally feel conflicted. On one side, workers should know the truth about significant transformations that may impact their jobs. However, being too blunt might induce unnecessary fear or affect morale, especially since the exact timeline and implications of AI advancements can be unpredictable.
What has your experience been like regarding how your management talks about automation and AI? Are they straightforward about possible changes, or do they often minimize the extent of the impact? I’m eager to hear various opinions on whether complete honesty is the best approach in dealing with technological changes at work.
Transparency beats sugar-coating every time. At my last job, management tried downplaying automation and it backfired hard. People noticed the changes anyway and got way more upset about being misled. Employees aren’t stupid - they see what’s happening. Frame it right though. Be honest about what’s coming but also talk about retraining and how you’ll help people transition. Companies that do this keep their good people because everyone appreciates straight talk. Makes them feel secure when they know the plan. Finding out through gossip or surprise meetings? That’s the absolute worst way to handle it.
The real problem is when leadership doesn’t understand what AI can and can’t do.
I’ve sat through countless meetings where executives make grand statements about automation without knowing the technical limits. They either overpromise or create unnecessary panic.
Three years ago, management kept saying AI would “transform everything” but couldn’t explain what that meant. People started updating resumes thinking their jobs would disappear next month.
The AI tools we implemented mostly handled data processing nobody wanted to do anyway. Same people are still here, just doing more interesting work.
Be specific instead of vague. Don’t say “AI will change your role.” Say “We’re automating monthly report generation so you can focus on analysis.”
I tell my team exactly which tasks we’re automating and which we’re not. No corporate speak - just facts about what’s technically possible with our systems.
Most people handle change fine when they understand what’s happening. Uncertainty kills morale, not the technology.
the ceo’s got a point, but executing it’s another story. My company keeps pushing this “AI will augment your work” line, but we’re not stupid - some jobs are getting cut eventually. Wish they’d just be honest about it instead of feeding us corporate speak. We could actually plan ahead instead of getting hit with layoffs out of nowhere.
honestly think everyone’s overthinking this whole transparency thing. my boss just told us straight up last month that AI’s gonna handle our invoice processing and we’d be switching to client strategy work instead. nobody panicked because he explained the timeline and what training we’d get. simple as that. most workers already suspect what’s coming anyway so just don’t make it weird or dramatic about it
I’ve worked manufacturing for 15 years and watched this same drama unfold with every new tech. Transparency matters, but timing and context matter more. Don’t just tell people what AI can do - show them your actual plan for dealing with it. When CNC machines started replacing manual operators at my plant, the smart companies told workers early and put real money into retraining. The ones that didn’t? Lost their best people to competitors. Workers can handle the truth when you back it up with real support. What destroys trust is saying “big changes are coming” then offering zero help. Give people six months and actual skills training, not six days and BS about “new opportunities.” The CEO’s right that lying backfires, but being honest while abandoning your workforce is just as toxic.
Look, I’ve been through multiple automation waves at my company. The real issue isn’t whether to tell people or not.
Most companies get this backwards. They panic about AI replacing jobs instead of making their people more valuable.
Our teams were freaking out about getting replaced by automated systems. Instead of just talking about it, I built workflows that let those same people control the automation. Now they’re managing 3x more projects and getting promoted.
Give employees tools to work WITH the AI, not against it. When people automate boring tasks and focus on strategic stuff, they become irreplaceable.
I set up processes where our customer service team uses automated workflows for routine requests. They went from dreading AI to loving it because now they only deal with interesting problems.
Honesty matters, but action matters more. Show people how they can leverage automation for their own benefit. Build systems that make them control the AI instead of competing with it.
That’s exactly what we do with Latenode. People create their own automation workflows without coding. They become the automation experts instead of its victims.
Companies get obsessed with messaging while ignoring the basics. We had a director waste months on the ‘perfect’ AI integration announcement - town halls, FAQs, the works. Meanwhile, half our team was doing stuff that could obviously be automated and we all knew it. The whole communication strategy felt insulting because the real problem wasn’t how they told us - they just had zero vision for what happens next. We don’t need perfect messaging, we need leaders who actually understand how the business works. I’ve watched well-meaning ‘transparency’ from clueless managers cause way more damage than companies that just quietly roll out changes with a decent transition plan. The CEO’s probably seen other executives create chaos by oversharing before they’ve got their operational shit together.